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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839336">The Thousand-Eyed Wraith</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerys/pseuds/aerys'>aerys</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Victor (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Alternate Universe - Horror, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Cults, Demons, Horror, M/M, Mind Control, Possession, Religion, Science Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:40:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839336</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerys/pseuds/aerys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Victor and Benji wake up a long way from Atlanta. And a long time away. Somehow, they get roped into doing things they wouldn't normally do. Will they make it out alive? </p><p>(Venji Futuristic/Scifi/Horror Cult AU)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Benjamin "Benji" Campbell/Victor Salazar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Venji Fic Fests: Halloween 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Thousand-Eyed Wraith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi all, hope you're well! This is my fic for the Venji Halloween Fic Fest. It's based in the world of one of my original works called <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/207437211-the-thousand-eyed-crow-wattys2020">The Thousand-Eyed Crow</a>, (available on Wattpad), which is a futuristic scifi/clifi/horror story I wrote for NaNoWriMo last year. I know it's a bit of a different story and style than what I've been working on lately but I hope ya'll enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Victor opened his eyes. Something fell into them, and he blinked back the residue. His eyelashes fanned something… hard, yet crumbly. He shifted. The crack and crunch boomed in his ears. His ribs compressed. Pain. He couldn’t breathe. But he could smell the peat and damp. The only sound he heard was a high-pitched shriek. It was dark. And hotter than it had any business being.</p><p>Groaning, he smacked his hand down beside him, flesh colliding with brush. He pushed himself up. Now the oxygen could feed his lungs. Wavering, he pushed himself to his feet. His legs threatened him. Buckling. He swayed, reaching out every which way for support. Found it on the rough surface perpendicular to the ground. Eyes adjusted to light; he could see the outline of a labyrinth of what looked like trees. No exit.</p><p><em> Where the fuck am I? </em>He thought. His free hand patted at clothes. Peeling earth away. Still blinking, he wiped the dust from his eyes.</p><p>Another sound erupted, this one close by. Victor whipped toward it. An outline a few feet off stirred. He took a moment to contemplate his own safety. </p><p>One, two, three… Enough thinking. He strode toward the noise on wobbly legs.</p><p>A moan climbed from the ground. Victor paused, crouching down. Squinting, nose drifting closer… <em> Benji. </em>Eyes exploded with realization.</p><p>“Victor…” came the feeble cry. “Where are you?”</p><p>“I’m right here,” he said, reaching out. Hand caressed soft hair. Another hand rose to greet it.</p><p>“Can you help me?” </p><p>Benji latched on. Victor pulled. He was on his feet again.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>“My legs are busted.”</p><p>“It’ll go away in a second. Trust me.”</p><p>He held Benji in the darkness. Let him lean against him. In a second, he stood on his own. </p><p>“Where are we?”</p><p>“Mmm… Don’t know. The last thing I remember was us going to sleep. Ow!”</p><p>Benji pinched him. No dice.</p><p>“So we aren’t dreaming.” He pinched himself for good measure. Nada.</p><p>“I guess not.”</p><p>Shaking out legs, Victor scanned the trees. He looked up. Black. A tunnel of wood. </p><p>“Let’s walk,” Benji suggested. </p><p>Hands drifted around a bicep. Clamped down tight. They moved as a unit. Separating could mean death.</p><p>From afar, a patch of light shone. Eyebrows quirked as they approached. Silence. No sounds of life. No owls, cicadas… whatever else they heard during the nights in Atlanta. </p><p>It was night… right?</p><p>They approached the clearing. In the sun a figure sat. Crackling. It wasn’t yet on fire. But the brush around it was.</p><p>“Wait.” </p><p>Stopping, Benji held Victor back. A blackened stump surrounded with a ring of fire. On the stump, what looked like… a gnome? No. More humanoid… Victor squinted. He covered his face from the brightness. On the stump sat… a doll.</p><p>Eyes following eyes following eyes… Three pairs. Moving. </p><p>Victor swallowed. He’d seen enough Chucky movies. They stayed in the shade.</p><p>The doll’s face contorted. Its eyes were black; no pupils, all iris. With size alone, it wasn’t threatening. At all. But the inhuman movements were enough. Victor stepped back. He pulled Benji, too.</p><p>An object small enough to fit inside his hands. But its shriek cut the air like a machete. It sounded familiar…</p><p><em> I heard this before</em>, Victor thought, fists clenching. </p><p>But it wasn’t shrieking. It was… <em> laughing</em>? </p><p>They should have ran in the opposite direction. But they stayed put. It wasn’t a choice.</p><p>“<em>Ahahahahahahahahaha</em>!”</p><p>The sound seemed to move beyond this plane. It reverberated across the forest, in their eardrums, penetrating their flesh and gnawing into their arteries, vibrating on a quantum level until the very strings within them quaked, all the way into the plasma and whatever else that made up their souls, threatening to dissipate and hide from sheer terror. Their feet stayed rooted in place. Nailed to the earth like Jesus on the cross.</p><p>“<em>Finally.” </em></p><p>With that, the sound seemed to disappear from the air. The words erupted into their craniums as if they were thinking them themselves. They cringed as it screamed into their minds. Too fucking loud.</p><p>Victor and Benji stood still rooted to the ground. The doll rose. Porcelain face turned grey with wear. Paint peeling in sheets still stuck to where its skin should be. A mouth that shouldn’t be able to move… changing expressions freely. On spindly legs it hopped from the stump and into the flames.</p><p>The tongues of fire lapped at the paint. Unconcerned, the doll marched to where they stood immobilized. With rat-sized hands it took out a blade.</p><p>“<em>You are my disciples now.”  </em></p><p>“<em>Be gone, demon!” </em> Victor thought. Blinking again, tears spilled. <em> “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” </em></p><p>"<em>Ahahahahahahaha! Demon?! You dare call your God a demon?!” </em></p><p>"Give<em> us this day our daily bread, and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us…” </em></p><p>
  <em>"I haven’t heard those words uttered in years… But they won’t work. They will only make me stronger.” </em>
</p><p>He didn’t believe it. <em> “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.” </em></p><p>Cackling again, the doll leapt into the air. It plunged the blade into Benji’s neck. Neither of them could scream. His body crumpled to the ground. A <em> thump</em>. Then silence.</p><p>“<em>You insolent child.” </em></p><p>A pulsating gush of red. Victor could only move his eyes. Tears streamed now -- he could only mimic Benji’s arteries as they emptied of blood.</p><p>Another prayer was in order.</p><p>
  <em> “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…” </em>
</p><p>And another cackle erupted from the throat of the doll, a cacophony in his brain. </p><p>“<em>Relax. He’s not dead. I needed to teach you a lesson in obedience.” </em></p><p>Wet eyelids squeezing closed, Victor prayed harder. </p><p>“<em>Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” </em></p><p>The doll jumped onto him. It landed on his shoulder. If it wanted to it could whisper in his ear.</p><p>“<em>Do you really want to be scared, child?” </em></p><p>“<em>Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” </em></p><p>“<em>The God you pray to is dead.” </em></p><p>Victor shivered despite the heat. He wouldn’t believe it. That wasn’t possible. God was supposed to be watching over them. Merciful. Benevolent… <em> Kind. </em>He couldn’t be dead.</p><p>
  <em> “Oh, but it is. Do you want to see the true face of God?” </em>
</p><p>“<em>Show me. I’m not scared of you, demon.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “You should be.” </em>
</p><p>The doll’s face contorted again. This time it scowled. Teeth too sharp to be in a doll’s mouth shone in the light from the flames. It held the blade before Victor’s eye. </p><p>He was beginning to realize that his prayers weren’t working.</p><p>“<em>Hmm… I could take your eye… or I could take your lover’s life.” </em></p><p><em> “Isn’t his life worth more than my eye?” </em>Victor asked. He cast a sidelong glance.</p><p>“<em>I</em><em>t depends. </em>”</p><p>Victor wanted to shut the faucet of his thoughts off. What he wanted to know was… what sort of god had so little value for human life that it would ask such a question?</p><p>“<em>Let him go. Just pluck my eye out if you have to. I don’t care.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “But you do care. Do not lie to me, I see all your thoughts. There’s nothing you can hide.” </em>
</p><p>The doll threw itself off his shoulder and back to the stump. It didn’t land on feet. Instead, its porcelain body burst into pieces against the surface. Hundreds… thousands of shards. <em> Smash.  </em></p><p>Eyes wide, Victor stood -- still frozen. From the doll’s body… a cloud of smoke.</p><p>It circled around and around… Soon it took shape. Sentient. The clearing blackened again. Now the fire went out.</p><p>Another screech permeated Victor’s brain. It was louder this time. And deeper. Its frequency stopped his heart. His eyes darted to Benji’s collapsed form on the ground. </p><p>“<em>You’ve passed the first test.”  </em></p><p>The voice of the doll became a screech in his mind. A murder of crows had replaced his brain. He wanted to hold his head. <em> Make it stop. </em></p><p>“<em>What do you want from me?” </em>was all Victor could ask.</p><p>“<em>Your job is simple. Spread my word, of the Nation of Thronakkhar, so I can manifest and bring upon the end of the world.” </em></p><p>His blood stopped in his veins. It became solid as if touched by dry ice. That was the last thing he would ever want to do.</p><p>“<em>And what if I don’t?” </em></p><p>The voice chuckled menacingly. It creaked like a metal swing in the wind. There was nothing natural about it. </p><p>Where the stump was… where the <em> cloud </em>was… a giant black bird took shape. It opened its maw and screeched, the sound invading his brain again. Droplets of spit and energy fell from within it. Its throat opened like a black hole. Whatever it was… wasn’t from this planet.</p><p>Where it floated, the smoke cleared. Instead of one pair of wings, it had hundreds. Open eyes adorned every inch of the surface area of its body like jewels. Victor couldn’t look away. He desperately wanted to.</p><p>“<em>Defy me again and I will destroy your lover’s soul. It will cease to exist, erased from the fabric of the universe. And yours will be next.” </em></p><p>
  <em> No no no no no no no no… </em>
</p><p>A sadistic, guttural cackle pervaded his mind as feathers rained down upon the forest floor in the darkness. The creature seemed to glow despite there being no visible light. It mocked him.</p><p>
  <em> No no no no no no no no… </em>
</p><p>His stomach dropped through the earth. Chest clenched. The world spun. He was going to be sick. If he could move he would have thrown up. Instead he stood with the bile clawing at his esophagus. It had nowhere to go.</p><p>"Remember<em> my words. Choose wisely, my child.” </em></p><p>The edges of his vision blurred. Closing in on him. Thronakkhar jeered at him as his vision warped with tears before everything went black. </p><p>-----------------------------------</p><p>Bustling. Chatter. Walls of cloaks swishing past. Like monks in brown habits. In their hands, holographic screens. The air smelled of concrete and heat and sweat. Tiled grey walls and floors… tunnels as far as the eye could see. Unfamiliar yet again. But Victor could move now.</p><p>He didn’t know how he’d gotten there. And he wasn’t alone. He glanced down. Benji lay, immobile. Still bleeding out. Who would help him?</p><p>Victor crouched down. Draped Benji’s body across his arms -- Pietà. Dragged him through the tunnel. All-but-dead weight. Bodies had their heads down as they walked. No one would raise their gaze to help. Until--</p><p>“Yoright?” </p><p>He stood still. Before him stood a young woman. Familiar curly black hair. Familiar eyes. Familiar face…</p><p>“Mia?”</p><p>“Wot?”</p><p>They stared at each other. She pulled them aside. But she sounded… wrong.</p><p>“You look like a friend of mine. Sorry.”</p><p>Waving his hands before him, Victor looked down. Benji’s face had grown pale. Victor’s heart cracked to life.</p><p>“Y’need the hospital, yeah?” Not-Mia asked.</p><p>He nodded. She took him by the arm. And she supported Benji. He was small but dense. </p><p>Like the others, the girl wore a cloak. She stopped. Glanced around quickly. </p><p>“Wait,” she commanded. </p><p>Victor stood in place. Not-Mia disappeared around a corner for a moment. She returned with two cloaks. Her eyes flickered red. She blinked and they went back to brown. </p><p>“The sun is strong. You need these for protection.”</p><p>Her accent sounded strange to his ears. It was English but not the kind he was used to. And it didn’t resemble any accent he recognized. </p><p>She gave a cloak to Victor. He draped it over himself. The other covered Benji. They seemed thick but were actually light. The material looked white up close, with a soft silken layer on the outside. Victor didn’t recognize the material. </p><p>“It’s a compressed synthetic material that repels the sun. Carbaurilalboxyline. Otherwise you would get cancer or get fried.”</p><p>Swallowing, Victor made sure the cloaks were on properly. He didn’t want to risk it. </p><p>They walked out of the tunnels and outside into the blistering heat. The sun had baked the ground. There were only hot places and slightly less hot places. Even air conditioning could not stave it off. Victor wondered if… where he had been before had been close by. How did trees even survive here?</p><p>As they walked, Victor saw there was nothing green. It was a desert. Cracked earth. Scorched pieces of wood that had shriveled up from what used to be trees. He didn’t know when that had been. The streets were mostly empty, much to Victor’s surprise.</p><p>Not-Mia was quiet as she led them down the road. Victor lifted the cloak covering Benji. He eyed Benji’s neck. The blood seemed to have stopped pouring. He hoped it wasn’t because there wasn’t anymore left in his body.</p><p>Victor gritted his teeth. </p><p>“How much longer?” he asked Not-Mia. His arms were beginning to wobble under the weight. </p><p>“Just in here,” she replied, leading him into an unassuming concrete building with glass doors that didn’t let any light pass through. </p><p>When they entered, Not-Mia immediately locked the door behind them. She crushed the key card in her hand. Victor froze. He realized in that moment it had been a mistake to trust her.</p><p>“We aren’t at the hospital, are we.” It was more a statement than a question. </p><p>“The hospital staff would arrest you.”</p><p>“What? Why? He needs medical attention! He… he might...” Victor almost choked at the thought. His voice dropped to a whisper. “He might die.”</p><p>Swallowing the tears, Victor almost dropped Benji from his arms. His body was becoming ever limper. </p><p>“I can fix him,” Not-Mia said, motioning for him to follow her. </p><p>The interior of the building was small and sparsely furnished, with only a table, four chairs, and a few brown cabinets in the room which he assumed to be the kitchen. She led him down a corridor to a lone room. It had a bed in it. She pointed to it. </p><p>“Set him down here.”</p><p>Victor followed her directions. He dumped the cloak off Benji and then off himself. Blood had soaked through the cloak. Benji looked pale. Breathing labored and shallow. Victor didn’t want to leave his side. He sat next to him.</p><p>“Keep him like this,” Not-Mia said gently, setting Benji so that he was in a half-seated position. Victor held him like that. He got blood on his hands.</p><p>Luckily Victor wore dark clothes so the blood didn’t show as easily. </p><p>Not-Mia took out a box and pulled out a curved needled and thick thread. She sewed Benji’s wound quickly. In a moment it was done. She wiped the blood. From her box she pulled out a syringe. She jammed the needle into Benji’s neck.</p><p>“For the pain,” she explained, emptying the contents into Benji’s veins. “He needs water. Wake him so he can drink.”</p><p>Already, Benji looked better. The blood had been cleaned. He had been stitched up. His breathing evened out. Now he needed to rest. Victor shook him awake.</p><p>“Thank you,” Victor said.</p><p>She stared at him. “I don’t understand.”</p><p>Victor raised an eyebrow. “I’m saying thank you. For helping him.”</p><p>“I don’t know what this word ‘thank you’ means, but I did what needed to be done. That’s all.”</p><p>Benji blinked a few times in the dim light. He glanced around, tense. Victor shifted his attention to him. </p><p>“Hey ba… Benji,” Victor said. He corrected himself at the last minute as his eyes darted to Not-Mia beside him. </p><p>As Benji turned, body weak, he wrapped an arm around Victor’s neck to pull him down for a kiss. Victor turned his face away. </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Benji asked, frowning. He looked to the side. “Oh, hey, Mia.”</p><p>“Why do you both refer to me as ‘Mia’? I don’t know who this ‘Mia’ person is but my name is Fane. Also, you don’t need to hide the fact that you two are both clearly in love with each other. It’s normal here. And weird to try and hide it, truthfully.”</p><p>“Oh,” Victor sighed, earning an eye roll from Benji, who hissed and touched his neck. Victor kissed him. Benji melted for a moment.</p><p>“Don’t touch,” Fane said, pulling Benji’s hand away from himself as she handed him a glass of water. “Let the drugs work. And drink water.”</p><p>Obliging, Benji did as he was told. </p><p>“It’s good I found you and not someone else,” Fane said. “There’s this cult that’s going around snatching people up, it’s horrible. The Nation of Thronakkh, they’re called. They love preying on people who aren’t from around here. It’s so easy to get people to believe in fairytales...”</p><p>Victor jumped. The image of the Crow god hovering before him etched itself into his mind’s eye. “We saw it! It’s not a fairytale, it’s real.” </p><p>Fane shot up. She flew backward. Her eyes glowed red again. “I knew you looked familiar. You really <em> are </em> criminals. Wanted ones, at that. Not just… people who have been falsely accused of being in a cult… I can’t believe I brought you here...”</p><p>“What’re you saying? How could we possibly be criminals? We don’t even know where we are or how we got here,” Benji said. He set his glass of water down beside him. His jaw tensed.</p><p>She stood her ground. Fane reached down the back of her robes. The knife she produced looked smaller than a machete. But not by much. She brandished it at them. Light bounced off the metal. Menacing.</p><p>Sliding between Benji and Fane, Victor swallowed. He started to sweat. </p><p>“Don’t move,” Fane said. The not-machete’s point a hair-length away from Victor’s nose. “Or I <em> will </em>kill you.”</p><p>He didn’t want to test her. </p><p>On Fane’s shoulder, Victor saw a figure. It became clear and then faded away. The doll from before…</p><p>Victor heard the familiar cackle in his mind. He saw the doll with a blade of its own. His brain replayed the image of it stabbing Benji. Again. And again. And again. Red threads spurted everywhere.</p><p>“<em>Kill her</em>. <em> Kill her. Kill her.”  </em></p><p>Eyes darted to the machete again. Then back to her face. A face he loved. He gulped. The doll flashed into being on her other shoulder. Its face contorted. </p><p>Benji’s life or hers?</p><p>His body moved for him. </p><p>“No! <em> Victor!” </em></p><p>Hand gashed. A loud <em> thwump </em>. His foot collided with her rib cage. She smacked against the wall.</p><p>Another stream of blood. Less deadly. He juggled the machete in his torn hand. Hissed. Then stopped.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Victor’s voice cracked. </p><p>He almost didn’t register the pressure on his arm.</p><p>“What the fuck are you doing, Victor?”</p><p>Scowling at him. Victor could see Benji’s heart collapsing in his eyes.</p><p>“Don’t you see the doll? From before?” Victor’s voice wavered.</p><p>“Just kill me,” Fane challenged. She hacked light red liquid from behind her teeth. </p><p>“You’re insane,” Benji spat. “Put that thing down.”</p><p>Once again the doll came into view. It danced around Fane’s oblivious head. </p><p>“You can’t see that?” Victor motioned with the blade. Fane recoiled.</p><p>Groaning, Benji rose from the bed. He snatched at Victor’s hand. Victor shoved him off. Hard.</p><p>“Seriously, <em> stop! </em>Are you hearing yourself right now?”</p><p>“If I don’t kill her, that doll is gonna kill you. And destroy your soul.”</p><p>Benji paused. Gritting teeth, he faltered. “That can’t be true.”</p><p>“It is. The God we saw in the woods said so. And I know it was real.”</p><p>Victor’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat. Then added: “I don’t want to lose you again.”</p><p>Their eyes found Fane. They didn’t want to die.</p><p>“But she helped us…” Benji pleaded. </p><p>Victor didn’t hear it. </p><p>He plunged the blade into her. It slipped between her ribs. Instead of blood, black smoke flew out of her. In an instant it filled the room. Where her body had been lay… nothing. </p><p>Benji grabbed at Victor. Despite his weakness and loss of blood, he pulled him away. Eyes bulged when no body remained.</p><p>“<em>You’ve proven yourself to be a useful pawn…” </em>the voice screeched in his head. He tugged at his hair. </p><p>The machete tumbled from his fingers. Hilt damp with his own life force. He fell to his knees. </p><p>“Victor… <em> Victor! </em>Stay with me!” Benji shouted. A body solid beside him. Hands cupping his face.</p><p>He went to inhale again. No oxygen this time. Only smoke. So much smoke. When he took it in, he felt alive. More alive than he had ever felt before. From a cloud of pure adrenaline.</p><p>His eyes glowed red. He came down from the high. Rose to his feet. The smoke was gone. Now they were completely alone.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Benji asked gently. He stroked Victor’s hair. But he looked rattled.</p><p>“Yeah. Never better.”</p><p>“How are you?”</p><p>“Fine, I guess. Less painful.”</p><p>Pretending the last three minutes hadn’t happened seemed like the best idea for the moment. </p><p>He rested a hand on Benji’s neck wound. In its wake, the flesh seized. A moment passed. The wound disappeared.</p><p>“Did you just… heal me?” </p><p>“I guess so.” </p><p>Victor wiped the tears with the back of his hand. He helped Benji up. </p><p>“We should get out of here,” Victor said.</p><p>“Where are we supposed to go? If that girl was right, and we are wanted criminals… There’s nowhere for us to go.”</p><p>“I think we need to go back to the woods. That’s where we started.”</p><p>In his mind, the Crow god manifested. Its maw gaped as it shrieked. “<em>You will never find the woods.” </em></p><p>Benji stared at him. “You’re possessed.”</p><p>“No I’m not.”</p><p>“Well, your eyes keep turning red and you keep zoning out and it’s creeping me out.”</p><p>Victor shook his head. He rubbed his eyes. “I swear I’m not. I’m fine.”</p><p>He kissed Benji’s cheek. Benji’s eyes fluttered closed. He swallowed a lump in his throat. </p><p>“Okay. I believe you.”</p><p>Benji turned his head to kiss him properly. Hands wandered. Limbs tangled. Lips bruised each other. They both ended up in the cramped bed. Victor pressed Benji against the wall for fear of falling off. </p><p>They stayed like that for a while. Clothes ended up in heaps on the floor. Bare bodies slipping against each other. Sweat slicking skin and hair. It was already too fucking hot. </p><p>Victor lay on his back. He drew Benji to his chest. Arms wrapped around Benji’s waist, he sighed, content. He hoped it wouldn’t be the last time.</p><p>Elbows dug into Victor’s ribs. But otherwise Benji kissed him gently. Perhaps they should be in a rush. </p><p>A moment passed. Benji opened his eyes. He pulled away. Irises glowed. Gaze drawn over Victor’s head to the wall behind them. He quirked an eyebrow.</p><p>Oblivious, Victor threaded fingers through Benji’s hair. He tilted the other’s head back to expose his neck. Benji squinted at the wall. He stiffened. Victor bit his neck. And he hissed.</p><p>As he watched, what looked like a face peered back at him. White and humanoid… But fully bald, no skin, teeth jagged, long, white picket fences glued to the middle of its skull. The teeth took up at least half of its face. Where its eyes should have been… two hollowed-out pits. </p><p>Victor paused. He glanced up at Benji. Then he followed his gaze… to the bare wall.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” </p><p>“I think I’m seeing things, too.” </p><p>Benji shook his head. He leaned down to kiss Victor again. A distraction. </p><p>But the feeling of being watched… the eyeless sockets boring into him. Benji glanced up once more. </p><p>The beast was right in front of him now. It had crawled out of the wall. A black curtain floated around it blowing in an imaginary wind. Underneath it… hundreds of human eyes. Different shades, all staring back at him.</p><p>He shrieked. Leapt from the bed. </p><p>“You were right. Let’s get out of here.”</p><p>Victor whipped around. He jumped when he saw the beast, too. It didn’t seem to follow them. Instead it simply floated next to the wall, pointed smile huge on its face. In a moment it disappeared.</p><p>“The door’s locked. We need to find another way.”</p><p>They rummaged through their things. Threw clothes on inside out and backwards. They needed to vacate before the creature came back. </p><p>Grabbing the cloaks, Victor threw one to Benji. He gave him a look. </p><p>“So we don’t get cooked,” Victor said. </p><p>Shrugging, Benji draped it over himself.</p><p>Eyes zigzagging through the tiny apartment, Victor searched for a back door. There was no other way out.</p><p>Soon they returned to the room with the bed. The wraith-like creature has returned; it remained in its original position. On its shoulder the image of the doll had sharpened and solidified.</p><p>“<em>You imbeciles </em>,” the doll’s voice echoed in their heads again.</p><p>It snapped its fingers. The wraith sunk into the wooden floor. Benji stroked his chin. The floorboard looked out of place. Victor crouched down. He fit his fingers underneath and pulled.</p><p>The board came off easily. He tossed it aside. A dark hole opened up with a ladder on the side. </p><p>“I guess this is our way outta here,” Benji mused.</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll go first.”</p><p>Victor descended. One foot, two feet, three feet…</p><p>He gulped. It was dark. How far down did this go? It smelled of hot concrete the way he remembered New York in the summer. The vein in his head throbbed. Climbing down in a cloak wasn’t easy. And he hated heights.</p><p>Finally, the ladder ended. He touched down on the ground. His eyes still had to adjust to the lack of light. He listened to Benji’s steady footsteps on his descent. </p><p>“You’re not far now,” Victor announced.</p><p>He blinked a few times. Down through the tunnel a faint light shone. </p><p>Benji hopped off the ladder a few seconds later. Hands searched for hands. They shuffled through the gravel-coated underground linked together. It was actually cool for once. The smell of fire and something burning… like roasted meat. Not one they recognized.</p><p>Voices traveled around them. This time ones from outside their minds. As they approached and the sound grew louder. They tried to understand the chanting.</p><p>“Corvi Iubet autem Deus ut inficiat mundi finem hominis cum est super nos... in die judicii…”</p><p>Victor paused in his tracks. He didn’t want to go there. Once they took that step there would be no turning back.</p><p>Beside him, Benji stopped, too. </p><p>“I can’t run away now.”</p><p>He tilted his head to the side in the dim light. The doll manifested again. It glowed. This time the blade in its hand was larger. Pointier. More deadly. It let it hover over Benji’s heart. Victor tensed. </p><p>The doll leapt from Benji’s shoulder to his own. Benji’s eyes darted to him. </p><p>“I thought we had a deal,” Benji said. </p><p>Victor raised an eyebrow. Realization dawned on him. Benji wasn’t speaking to him. The doll cackled. It waved the knife around with glee.</p><p>“<em>You’re the fool that trusted a doll! </em>”</p><p>“Benji… what’s happening?” Victor asked. Panic tinged his voice.</p><p>“There’s no time to explain, Victor. Just. Go the other way. Quickly. Before they see you.”</p><p>He clung to Benji’s hand. Benji used all his strength to pry him off. </p><p>“Please, Victor. <em> Go. </em>They’ll kill you,” Benji begged. He finally freed himself.</p><p><em> “No!” </em>Victor shouted. His voice echoed. The chanting stopped.</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re… <em> sacrificing </em>yourself. What the fuck is wrong with you?”</p><p>“Victor… I love you,” Benji said. His voice broke. “I couldn’t let them just… erase you.”</p><p>“So you’d rather be killed instead?! Benji…” Tears pricked Victor’s eyes. “I love you, too.”</p><p>The doll hovered behind them both, a long knife in each hand.</p><p>“<em>You’re both fools. Not worth my time… Now walk.” </em></p><p>A sea of people greeted them on the other side of the tunnel. Bodies shrouded in black cloaks. Only mouths visible underneath hoods. They grinned.</p><p>Victor and Benji had no choice but to join the crowd. As they did, their eyes glowed red. They didn’t turn back.</p><p>-------------------------------------</p><p>Gasping, Victor shot up for air. Body slicked with sweat. Eyes huge. </p><p>Beside him, Benji stirred. He rubbed his eyes.</p><p>“Good morning to you too.”</p><p>Victor closed his eyes again. He needed to stop panting. Benji furrowed his brows, concerned.</p><p>Finally, Victor spoke. “I had a really vivid dream… Although I don’t know if it was actually a dream because it felt so real... You even pinched me and I didn’t wake up... It was super detailed, too. We were in the future and I think… the world was ending?”</p><p>Benji raised an eyebrow as he stretched, the light from outside pooling across the bed as the sun rose. </p><p>“That sounds so weird.”</p><p>“I know, right? I mean, it probably doesn’t mean anything, but…” Victor’s voice trailed off as he squinted, rubbing his eyes before he blinked a few times and peered at Benji.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“...is that… an <em> arm? </em>” </p><p>Victor pointed at the outline of something that lay draped over Benji’s middle on the outer surface of the covers.</p><p>Glancing down and then back at Victor, Benji narrowed his eyes. </p><p>“There’s… nothing here.”</p><p>Shaking his head to clear it, Victor looked over at Benji again. This time, a dark figure emerged from behind him. It mirrored his movements. For a moment, there were no defining characteristics, only a fuzzy, black, humanoid shape. </p><p>Tilting its featureless face toward Victor, it seemed to drain him of any joy or pleasure he could ever experience in his life, as if reaching within him and pulling his soul out like a crew member aboard a ship tasked with reeling in the chain of an anchor from the depths of the sea. </p><p>With each pull, the creature appeared to change before his very eyes, a face growing where there had been none before. Simultaneously, the light shining in his eyes began to fade, the sound of his own heartbeat began to quiet, the touch of Benji’s hand against him began to feel much farther away, and the smell of Benji’s citrus shampoo dissipated into the air. </p><p>As the last of his vision left him, Victor saw the flash of an image in his mind’s eye -- his own face, staring back at him. </p><p>And then it was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading and supporting! I hope you enjoyed this story. I wanted to leave it on a bit of an ambiguous ending. Maybe one day I'll write more in this universe because it's really fun. Anyway, I'm curious to hear ya'll's thoughts on this and 1 comment = 1 Venji being happy and alive.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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